The Valve Clinic

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Queen’s Heart Center for Valve and Structural Heart Disease is proud to offer Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) to selected patients with severe aortic valve stenosis, the narrowing of the “outlet valve” of the heart. Queen’s is the only hospital in Hawai’i to offer this less invasive procedure. All patients considered for TAVR are evaluated at our VALVE CLINIC, located at Queen’s Heart Physician Practice. At VALVE CLINIC, an interventional cardiologist, cardiac surgeon and nurse practitioner will jointly evaluate patients. Patients will receive a comprehensive evaluation of their valvular heart disease. If eligible, TAVR will be able to give patients with severe aortic stenosis once deemed “inoperable” for traditional surgical replacement of the aortic valve a new treatment option.

During TAVR the physician guides a catheter, or thin tube, which has a bio-prosthetic heart valve mounted onto it, through the patient’s femoral artery in the thigh to the heart. Once in correct position, the valve is expanded by a balloon in the delivery system, pushing away the calcified narrowed leaflets of the patient’s own valve to enlarge the valve opening. Following placement of the valve it is anchored inside the patient’s own aorta valve, functioning immediately allowing free, unobstructed blood flow. The procedure avoids the need for open sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass.

The Food and Drug Administration had approved TAVR in November 2011. Queen’s Heart Center for Valve and Structural Heart Disease in conjunction with Queen’s Heart Physician Practice has been working since 2009 to offer this, and other new, less invasive technologies for patients with structural, valvular and adult congenital heart disease.

To learn more about TAVR or if you suffer from aortic stenosis or other valve disease and you would like to be evaluated by our team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, please contact us at 808-691-8808 or email us at
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Please click below for Referring Physician Fax form, or fax number is 808-691-8919.

MitraClip

MitraClip is a minimally invasive catheter procedure for patients who have a leaky mitral valve that causes mitral regurgitation (MR). MR is the back flow of blood into the upper left chamber of the heart. MR affects the heart and lungs, and may cause heart failure symptoms such as shortness of breath at night or with activity, weight gain, swelling of the legs (edema), fatigue, and decreased appetite. MR can be caused by an abnormality of the mitral valve from conditions such as a prolapsed cord, rheumatic heart disease, or other conditions.

MitraClip is only offered to patients for whom traditional open heart surgery is too high a risk. The MitraClip procedure is done in a catherization lab under general anaesthesia. During the procedure, the MitraClip is inserted through a catheter via a vein in the leg. An ultrasound probe (TEE probe) and X-rays are used to guide the MitraClip to the mitral valve and to position it properly. The leaflets of the valve are then clipped together, reducing the mitral valve opening, and thus reducing the back flow of blood.

Patients with MR who may be considered for this procedure can be seen and evaluated by our valve team at the Queen's Valve Clinic. For more information on how to get an evaluation at the Valve Clinic please call 808-691-8808 or email
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